Generally, an outerwear system having a sealable access through which objects can be transferred between the outside and the inside. Specifically, a wader system that allows the wearer to urinate without having to remove the wader or to draw the wader down.
Outerwear has been manufactured that will protect the wearer from virtually all circumstances, such as pooled liquids, rain, sleet, snow, fog, water spray, flame, molten metals, chemicals, gases, biohazards, or the like, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,548,842; 6,049,913; 1,488,536; 291,854; and 4,667,344, each incorporated by reference herein. Perhaps, because outerwear is primarily designed to protect the wearer by separating the wearer from the circumstances outside the outerwear, little attention has been given to providing sealable access for the transfer of objects between the outside of the outerwear to the inside of the outerwear.
As such, even though there is a large commercial market for outerwear having sealable access between the inside and the outside of the outerwear, and especially with respect to water proof outerwear, such as waders or other water resistant, or water proof, sports wear, a substantial number of problems remain to be solved.
A significant problem with providing sealable access in outerwear may be that the outerwear is a contiguous piece so that the garment is thoroughly leak-proof as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 1,488,536, hereby incorporated by reference. With respect to these types of outerwear, the user steps into, pulls on, or pulls the garment over the human form. Once inside the outerwear the wearer does not have any sealable access between the outside and the inside of the outerwear for the transfer or the extension of objects.
Another significant problem with providing sealable access in outerwear may be that the outerwear has a separable junction between portions of the outerwear but the separable junction has a closure configured in a fashion that makes opening of the separable junction impracticable, inconvenient, or impossible for the wearer as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,853,758; 6,223,349; and 5,159,719, hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Another significant problem with providing sealable access in outerwear may be that the separable junction in the outerwear has a closure that does not provide a leak-proof seal at the separable junction as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 291,854; 6,105,214; 5,924,172; 4,667,344; 5,548,842 and 5,444,898.
Another significant problem with providing sealable access in outerwear may be that the closure at a separable junction may not be a discrete component from the material of the outerwear itself. As exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,274,159; and 5,210,879, a xe2x80x9cfoldedxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9crolledxe2x80x9d extendible xe2x80x9cfunnelxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ctubularxe2x80x9d element provides an conduit that communicates from the inside of the outerwear to the outside of the outerwear. Folded or rolled elements that do not have a removably discrete closure may present a number of inconveniences for the wearer. First, an unfolding or unrolling duration of time elapses in creation of the conduit from the inside to the outside of the outerwear. Using the folded or rolled funnel or tubular type components may be particularly difficult, impracticable, or impossible when the wearer is holding other objects, such as sporting equipment or tools, or when the wearer""s hands are covered with other outer garments, such as gloves. Again, after use of the funnel or tubular component, there is a folding or rolling duration of time that elapses to seal or to store such funnel or tubular type components.
Additionally, the seal created by compression of a folded or rolled component upon itself may vary in resistance to penetration by liquid depending on how the folded or rolled components are manipulated. The seal created by folding or rolling the funnel or tubular component may occur only after a number of rolls or folds, at varying points in the rolling or folding process, or not at all, and all without certainty from the viewpoint of the wearer. Moreover, the seal created by folding or rolling a funnel or tubular component may come undone due to the resiliency of the material the funnel or tubular element is made of, subsequent movement of the outer garment transferred to the seal surfaces, or failure of the covering or retention element holding the funnel or tubular element in the folded or rolled configuration.
When tubular or funnel type components are configured for elimination of excretory waste, such as urination by male users as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,274,159; and 5,210,879, hereby incorporated by reference herein, there may be additional problems. Once tubular or funnel type components are unfolded or unrolled the penile organ must be extended through a length of rollably or foldably flexible material that may not have selectably adjustable length. Once and if accomplished, tubular or funnel shaped flexible materials may also collect urine and transfer urine to the inside of the outerwear or may also have urine accumulate on them.
Another significant problem with providing sealable access in outerwear may be the lack of an access location adjustment element. Under certain circumstances the access conduit that communicates between the inside of the outerwear and the outside of the outer wear must be juxtaposed with a location on the wearer""s body, a container inside the outerwear, or other object(s) inside the outerwear. Outerwear may lack an affirmative grip that is responsive to the sealable access making positioning of the sealable access relative to the wearer""s body, the container, or other object(s) inside the outerwear difficult or impossible.
Another significant problem with providing sealable access in outerwear may be the lack of a thermal barrier between the exterior of the access element and the interior of the access element. As such, the access element may transfer heat to the exterior of the outerwear at a rate that makes contact with the access element uncomfortable to the wearer.
Yet another significant problem with providing sealable access in outerwear may be the lack of friction enhancement surfaces on the sealable access. The lack of friction enhancement surfaces may make the sealable access difficult to manipulate or position.
Still another significant problem with providing sealable access in outerwear may be the lack visual indicia to make observation, location, or manipulation of the sealable access less difficult. This is particularly true when the outerwear is bulky or makes the movement of the wearer within more difficult.
As to each of the above-mentioned problems with providing sealably accessible outerwear and in particular a sealably accessible wader system, the various embodiments of the invention provide practical solutions.
A broad object of the invention can be to provide sealably accessible outerwear having an access that communicates between the inside and the outside of the outerwear. The access may be located as desired on the surface of the outerwear allowing the transfer of or extension of a variety of objects between the interior of the outerwear to the exterior of the outerwear.
A significant object of embodiments of the invention can be to provide a sealable access that does not utilize a seal resulting from folding or rolling of the access element itself or the material surrounding the access element, but rather provides a removably discrete closure element. One aspect of this object can be to provide embodiments of the invention that eliminate the variation in the seal generated at the access element resulting from rolling or folding of a tubular element or funnel element joined to the access element. A second aspect of this object can be to eliminate or limit the duration of time necessary to seal or unseal the access element.
Another significant object of embodiments of the invention can be to provide sufficient compression between the closure element and the access element to provide a waterproof seal.
Another significant object of embodiments of the invention can be to provide access elements that can be positioned at a selectable distance from the outside surface of the outerwear.
Another significant object of embodiments of the invention can be to provide surfaces that facilitate the visualization of or manipulation of the various embodiments of access element or closure elements.
Another significant object of embodiments of the invention can be to provide sealing elements that compressibly conforms to irregularities in the various embodiments of the access elements or the closure elements.
Another significant object of embodiments of the invention can be to provide waterproof wader outerwear having a sealable access in the crotch area to allow a male wader wearer to urinate without removing or pulling the wader down.